11 October 2005

Let's be clear: Mr. Bush is proposing to use the first veto of his presidency on a defense bill needed to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan so that he can preserve the prerogative to subject detainees to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. In effect, he threatens to declare to the world his administration's moral bankruptcy.Washington Post, 10/07/2005

Last week, the Senate gave Dear Leader a long overdue spanking, voting 90-9 to approve the $440B military spending bill with John McCain's anti-torture amendment attached. Even majority leader, Bill Frist (who, in an indefensible act of cowardice/executive bootlicking, deep-sixed a vote on the bill before the summer recess) voted with the "yeas."

Not surprisingly, the administration has been mum on the issue, almost certainly betting on the deliberations in the House to save it the embarrassment of having to veto needed funds in order to maintain the shameful status quo and further stonewall reform. However, I think the bipartisan nature of this measure will prevail over the sort of strongarm techniques used to force through the recent giveaway to Big Oil. After this vote in the Senate, no longer can regulating detainee treatment be dismissed and/or demonized as a so-called liberal cause that's evidence of being "soft on terror." Deprived of that political cudgel, the DeLays and the Hasterts shouldn't be able to intimidate their fellow partymembers into following in goosestep with the president.